When Headline Writers Try to be Funny(or at Least, Self-Aware)

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/britain_failure_dc
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Wed Jul 20, 9:02 AM ET

The word "fail" should be banned from use in British classrooms and replaced with the phrase "deferred success" to avoid demoralizing pupils, a group of teachers has proposed.
Members of the Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) argue that telling pupils they have failed can put them off learning for life.
A spokesman for the group said it wanted to avoid labeling children. "We recognize that children do not necessarily achieve success first time," he said.
"But I recognize that we can't just strike a word from the dictionary," he said.
The PAT said it would debate the proposal at a conference next week.
Copyright © 2005 Reuters Limited.

― kingfish (Kingfish), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:13 (twenty years ago)

That's just lame.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:15 (twenty years ago)

I wish thread creators would try to be funny(or at least, self-aware).

― Leon C. (Ex Leon), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:16 (twenty years ago)

Ahem.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:18 (twenty years ago)

Gore Channel not as cool as it sounds.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:18 (twenty years ago)

That's just a bad headline -- it doesn't tell you anything at all about the story, and could in fact be a headline for almost any story. It's like making the headline "Wow, this is really crazy!"

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:19 (twenty years ago)

LOOK, THIS MADE PAGE D11!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:20 (twenty years ago)

I wish thread creators would try to be funny(or at least, self-aware).

What, you think i'm here to amuse you?

http://www.chimique.usherbrooke.ca/crtp/profs/Bill.jpg

THPBBTTTPBPBPT

― kingfish (Kingfish), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:23 (twenty years ago)

i remember reading an article on NAMBLA, and they had a picture of one of their newsletters (this was years ago), and there was a big picture of a very young elijah wood with a headline above the picture that read: "Elijah. Wood He?" I never ever forgot it. um, i don't know how funny you will think that is. i thought everything was funny back then.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:41 (twenty years ago)

At my current job I am not allowed to use the word "fail" in a headline, and if it appears in copy I am to replace with "is unable to" or "is incapable of."

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 20:03 (twenty years ago)

It's like making the headline "Wow, this is really crazy!"

This is kind of why I hate News of the Weird. Especially when people read the items out loud to me, and I'm supposed to have some sort of reaction, like "That is weird!!!"

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 20:05 (twenty years ago)

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